“Pretty good.” He grinned and the brief attack of sadness evaporated just like that.Thank you, Al.
“Yeah? Let’s see what you got, man,” I challenged him and soon after, I had fifteen teenagers ready for drills. We did countless grounders and pop-flys then relay drills. I knew within minutes who should be in the outfield by their running speed and arm strength, but infield was trickier. Agility was important but knowing the game mattered more. Baseball was more mental than skill. And no one could convince me differently.
Three hours later, I hadn’t smiled so much since Jade and her sister took me out country line dancing. Laughter echoed off the field and I had given more high-fives in those three hours than in my entire life. “Today rocked, guys. Do you have any questions before tomorrow?”
“Why do you know so much about baseball if you’re a girl?” Felix asked, but he had such a friendly face I didn’t think it was sarcastic at all. I grinned at him.
“An excellent question, Felix. This might shock you guys, but I was a tomboy in school. I preferred baseball over softball. I played it for eight years and wanted to give coaching a try. So, be nice to me, okay?”
“Of course, CFD.”
“CFD?”
“Coach Fiona Davis. I like CFD better. Plus, you gotta have a nickname.”
“I dig it.” I adjusted my hat and stuck my hand out in the middle. “Big Al. You arrived first. You pick the cheer today.”
“Me?”
“Yes! Now, let’s hear it.”
“All right. Uh, get tough on three. One, two, three,get tough!”
I waved and grinned as they all left.Holy shit.I hadn’t had that much fun in months. How sad. But my joy was short-lived. My co-coach decided to make an appearance and ruin my little bubble of happy. He didn’t even have to talk for my mood to sour. I held up my hand. “Don’t even bother. Don’t ruin this for me.”
“Just going to ask about a line-up.” He plopped down on the bench and crossed his ankles in thatbrosort of way. It reminded me of a former hookup who liked himself more than humanity.Huh.The comparison wasn’t far off.
“We have three kids who can pitch.”
“Yeah. I know. Who’s your pick for first?”
“First? I didn’t think about it. I think Garth would be the perfect shortstop. He has the personality to lead and has the arm.”
“Garth should catch. Now, who would you pick for first?” He crossed his massive arms and my gaze didn’t divert to them once. Not once.
“We need a kid who can catch. Bottom line. Garth can, yeah. But I think he should be in the field. He’s quick.”
“We need a leader behind the plate or we’ll lose by passed balls. I think Timothy should be at first.”
“Timothy?” I paused. “I saw him more outfield.”
“You’re wrong. He’s tall, can catch and he’s smart. He adjusted his position every time we did a drill. We need smart ones at first.”
Shit. Good point. Really good point.But I wouldn’t admit that to him in a million years. “I think Jason should catch. He did last year on the summer team and has a strong arm.”
“Agree to disagree, but I am the professional. Let’s not forget that, shall we?”
I stomped my foot. I wasn’t proud of it—but I did it anyway. His response was just a lazy smile. My hand twitched.
“So, are we going to talk about your freak-out in the beginning? I thought for a second you were being a girl and couldn’t handle the pressure.”
Rage burst through me. How dare he? He didn’t know shit. I made sure no one was around before exploding. “You don’tfuckingknow me. You don’t knowanything.You are just a sad, unhappy, miserable guy that I want nothing to do with. I’m staying because these kids mean something to me. You wouldn’t understand and I don’t expect you to. Fuck. You.”
Chapter Six
Gideon
Well, shit. Barbie made me feel bad. Not bad enough to apologize or not find ways to get her to quit, but an inkling of remorse hit me. I considered that a major breakthrough. Cheryl would be ecstatic. Barbie stormed out of there like a cat out of hell with her wild hair and pink cheeks.
